The Delhi Dynamos Football Club has appointed 2006 World Cup winning midfielder Simone Barone as their Assistant Coach for the upcoming season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL).
The club has also announced the signing of Sebastian Delgado of Spain and Italian Roberto Ghielmetti as the Goalkeeping Coach and Fitness Coach respectively for the new season, while Mario Cerra of Italy will be the new Team Manager as well as the Medico Assistant.
This strengthens the existing coaching staff duo of Raman Vijayan and Shakti Chauhan who have been with the club since its inception.
Italian Simone Barone will work as an assistant to World Cup winning compatriot, Gianluca Zambrotta, who was signed up as the Head Coach of the Delhi Dynamos. The two played for Italy in the 2006 World Cup, where they beat France on penalties in the dramatic final.
"I am delighted to join the Delhi Dynamos team. This is my first senior team coaching stint and I am really looking forward to it," Barone said. "I am thankful to the club management for this opportunity. I am really excited about this new phase of my career and hope to assist the team to its first title in the ISL," he added.
Simone, a veteran of 356 club games with a total goal tally of 23, started his career in 1997. He hung up his boots in 2012 after a career spanning over nearly 15 years. After his retirement, he went on to coach the Modena U-19 team.
The 38-year-old has featured in many top clubs in Italy, including Palermo, Torino, Cagliari and Chievo. Known for his energy and stamina, he was admired for his versatility: he could operate from multiple positions in the midfield, be it central midfield, right wing or deeper in a defensive role.
Delgado arrives at the club with a huge reputation after being involved in high profile assignments, namely being the Director of Keepers Academy of the Finnish giants HJK Helsinki.
Incidentally, Delhi Dynamos star of the last season Richard Gadze is on loan to Helsinki. The Spaniard is the personal coach of Toni Doblas and lot of credit goes to him for Doblas' extremely good work between the sticks last season, where he missed on the golden glove by whiskers.
He will look to weave the same magic on Sanjiban Ghosh and Soram Poirei and turn them into a solid wall in the upcoming season.
Ghielmetti, who will be responsible for keeping the squad fit and devoid of injuries during the season, was selected by Zambrotta himself, owing to his experience and credibility.
"I'm very happy to work with Gianluca. I'm looking forward to a successful season with the club," he said.
Zambrotta can take heart from Delhi's clean sheet results against FC Pune City since the start of ISL. Delhi have never lost against Pune in four encounters, winning three of them and the other match ending in a goalless draw.
Pune have also not been doing better either as they have notched up just one win from five matches, while losing twice and drawing twice. They are at seventh in the points table with just five points.
Pune coach Antonio Habas conceded that his players were failing to get the goals.
"We have 95 per cent new players. We have not created scoring chances. We need time to settle down but the problem is that ISL is a short competition. We have to improve, create more chances and score more goals," he said.
Habas, who won the title with ATK in the inaugural edition of the ISL, served a four-match suspension and since returning back on the bench he has earned just a draw against Chennaiyin FC.
Pune midfielder Jonatan Lucca said that Delhi would start favourites tomorrow.
"Pune City are a very good side. I have respect for Delhi but we will try and win this game. Delhi should be the favourites since they are playing at home," said Lucca.
A win for Delhi Dynamos will help them move back to the top four while Pune City also have a chance to be among the best four teams should they score three or more goals against their rivals, who they have never defeated in the past.
